Engine-trouble detector.



S. LAZARUS.

ENGINE TROUBLE DETECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED ocr. 1.8. 1915.

Patented Jan. 22, 1918.

INVENTOR. 5. L AZA R US.

Y B M W ATTORNEYS.

WITNESS WQM Specification of Letters Patent.

.. memn imounnnznm nmn Patented Jan. 22, 13.93%.

Application filed October 18, 1915. Serial No. 56,510.

J To all whom it may concern:

]Be it known that I, SAMUEL Lazarus a citizen-of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Engine-Trouble adapted'to be conveniently connected and operated for the instant detection of ignition troubles in such engines, substantially as] shownv and described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of the detector. Fig. 2 is a vertical central sectional elevation thereof, front to rear. Fig; 3 is a rear elevation complete and as otherwise seen in Fig. 2.1 Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic, view showing the i graduated electrical wires extending from the detector to facilitate convenient and correct-connection with the respective The device thus shown is a complete article of manufacture and sale, adapted to be placed on any automobile having an ngrine embodying two or morecylinders. he present construction is particularly adapted or use with an engine having six or a less. number of cylinders.

The desirability of a device of this kind and its practical utility need hardly be elaborated upon iii'the resent advanced state of the automobile art, ut it is Well known that there is constant danger of trouble arising in multiple cylinder machines by reason of defective spark lugs or 1 the like and in locating such tron e and without some such device as the present invention, it has always been. necessary to make a systematic exami nation over possibly every cylinder in the a series to locate the defect, wherw'by my invention the trouble is instantly and definitely located and, disclosed and without leaving the seat.

form of detector comprisingia relatively small casing 'c. whichis adapted to besecured to the of a mach ne and has a- OIl bers run consecutively like the hours on a clock, and indicate the corresponding cylinders, which are numbered in like manner. A transparent or glass disk (1 is arranged inside over the said openings or windows 0 through which the driver is enabled to read the results ascertained by the indicating hand or spark-producing finger. f. The said finger has an arbor'or stem a slidably and rotatably mounted in casing c and is adapted to be depressed or pressed'inward and rotated by grasping the insulate head I: there on. Operation is by said head, and spiral spring ssleeved upon said arbor outside the casing 0 serves to retract and hold the said finger out of possible contact with the several projecting wire terminals or contacts g. Each of the 1; 2, 3, l, 5 and 6 has a corresponding terminal lug or projection g the inner insulating disk D resting against a shoulder of the said casing and which disk .is confined thereinr by sealing wax w or like composition behind the same and inwhich the several wires 1 to 6 with their insulation are more or less'embedded at their connecting ends.

Normally, the current follows its usual channels, as between the magneto M and the of the machine by the wire 7 which is connccted with the ring 8 engaged with casing 0, see Fig. 3.

To prevent pomible confusion inconneci'r ing the several wires with the engines or of tags or marks thereon becoming lost or connumbered in like manner the wire No. 7 re-' mains to make the ground connection. Thus fumd, I have graduated the lengths of the -said wires serially, making No. 1 shortest To these several ends-Iprovide asimple also in making the said connections the work is simplified as the obvious steps to be taken. After fastening the dial to the dash, is to connect the shortest wire 1 to the spark plug P of the first cylinder nearest the device where located on the dashboard or cowl of the machine. The next length of-wire is attached to cylinder No. '2, and so on. For four cylinder engines, wires Nos. 5 and 6 can be out ofi close to dial or left unconnected to cut out the contacts 9 indicated by Nos. 5 and 6 on the face of dial.

'hen irregularities in the operation of the engine develop the source of trouble can be detected instantly by pressing the sparkproducing finger f inward and turning it to either the left or to the rightin near or actual contact with the projections g. No spark or a weak spark indicates at once the cylinder causing the trouble. possibly due to broken insulation, or carbon and-oil deposits around electrodes. or the electrodes may be jammed or too far apart, or wire leading to that particular cylinder may be broken or disconnected.

Where a spark appears intermittently or doesno't prove as strong as that secured from the other contacts, the cause of the trouble indicates a loose wire connection, loose battery terminahor improper connections at the distributing contacts and brushes of the magneto.

'here an intermittent spark develops in the detector when the engine is running on the magneto. the operator should switch to battery and then operate the detector. Then fa normal spark in the detector is obtained is obvious that the original trouble resides in the brushes or contact points of the magneto. which should be cleaned, or 1n a loose terminal connection at the spark plug or battery. On the other hand, should all contacts give forth a good spark and motor still develo amiss, it is almost certain the trouble is in lack of compression due to carbon deposits on valve seat, leaky gaskets, impaired flow of gasolene to carbureter. or kindred causes. The device is also useful in locating loose operating parts and knocking or rattling in the engine. That is, by pressing the finger f in contact with each projection g in succession to short-circuit each spark-plug in turn and in this way prevent explosions from occuring in selected cylinders. it is possible to locate the noise and trouble. If the knock resembles a dull thumping as 'of one rock on another, it is should be given to lubrication. A whistling sound indicates the escape of gas from defective packing or bustion chamber.

It will be noticed that the finger or hand 7' has a lug m on its back adapted to seat in a cavity or pocket 11 on the inside of the casing and to which said lug is retired by gasket around the comthe spring 8 when the finger is turned upright out of use. From this point the finger can be rotated in either direction but preferably is swept over the contacts in the order of their numbers. A relatively deep casing C is preferred to house finger f and the contacts 9 sufliciently to place them in a dark zone or area for a better display of the jump-sparks, and the openings 0 are made relatively small for the same reason.

'hat I claim is:

1. A trouble detector for internal-combustion engines," comprising a casing and a series of electrical terminals therein. a finger therein and a series of contact points about a common center thereon, a multiple cylinder engine having electrical ignition devices corresponding to said contact points and wires electrically connecting said points and and said devices, and a short-circuiting finger rotatably and depressibly mounted op posite said contact points and exposed to o servation through said casing.

4. A trouble detector as described comprising acasing having a series of observation openings in its front and a dial on said front having designatin marks corresponding to said openings. a linger having an arbor rotatably and slidably mounted in said casing and exposed through said openings, and a spring mounted on said arbor to re tract said finger.

5. A trouble detector as described having a casing and an insulating plate therein provided with short-circuiting contact points in a circle thereon. the said plate being spaced and retired from the front of said casing. a finger in said space adapted to be rotated into current-detecting relations with said contact points. a rotatable arbor for said finger slidably mounted in said casing.

and a spring adapted to retire and maintain said finger in a retired position relatively to said contact points.

I devices, ground connections for the casing 6. trouble detector for multiple cylinder explosive engines, comprising a casing having a dial face with a cavity'on the inside thereof, a depressible finger behind said face provided with a projection adapted to enter said cavity, an arbor carrying said finger, a spring about said arbor adapted to hold said projection in said casing, and an 1nsulating base plate having a series of electrical terminals arranged in a circle thereon opposite said finger.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL LARUS. r Witnesses:

F. C. HARRoLn, GEO. E. KRICKER. 

